Observance of the 20th Anniversary of 9/11
Reflection and Remembrance
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Pastoral Word from
Presiding Bishop
Michael Curry
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"As followers of Jesus, and with our siblings in other faith traditions, we place great value on the act of remembrance. As we reflect on the solemn anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, we remember many loved ones lost and first responders who put their lives at risk, modeling the sacrificial love of Jesus, who said: 'No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.'
While 20 years have passed, I also want us to pause and remember the days that followed these tragic events. There was a moment in the aftermath when people came together. We were praying, grieving, and also working together. Because in that moment, however fleeting it was, we knew with immediacy and vulnerability that we need God, and we need each other.
Memories of that tender cooperation — of love for each other as neighbors — serve as guiding lights for the present. Amidst the ongoing pandemic and natural disasters that have taken so many lives and pushed first responders to their limits, and amidst a worldwide reckoning with the sin of racism, we are called to become the Beloved Community whose way of life is the way of Jesus and his way of love."
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Virtual and in-person
services to be held at
Trinity Wall Street
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Trinity Church Wall Street invites all who are seeking solace around the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to jo, in person, for A Time and Space for Remembrance and Healing from Friday evening, September 10, to Sunday evening, September 12. In 2001, St. Paul’s Chapel, part of Trinity Church Wall Street, served as a relief mission for recovery workers at Ground Zero for nearly a year after the buildings fell.
Following a live-streamed service at Trinity Church on Friday, September 10 at 8pm, St. Paul’s Chapel will be open to all those who are seeking a place to pray, reflect, mourn, or simply sit with their memories. Clergy from the Episcopal Diocese of New York will be present to offer support and prayers, and from 7am-7pm on Saturday, brief musical interludes and readings will be offered on the hour. An exhibit displaying artifacts from the events of Sep. 11 will be available at St. Paul’s Chapel, along with interactive digital exhibits on our website. On Sunday, September 12, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will preach at our live-streamed 11:15am Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church. At 8pm on Sunday, St. Paul’s Chapel will close, and we will offer a live-streamed Compline service at Trinity Church.
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For full schedule of events at St. Paul's Chapel, and Trinity Church,
both virtual and in person, click on the button below.
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The Commission on Ministry (COM) offers the people of the Episcopal Church in Delaware the opportunity of the Fire & Formation initiative. If you desire to move more deeply into your baptismal promises you are invited to initiate and participate in a Covenant Group as a journey in faith. Learn more about Fire & Formation during this virtual orientation (via ZOOM) . New resources are already posted on the diocesan website https://delaware.church/fire-formation/. See future editions of The Net for more information.
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Mark your calendars!
Fire and Formation
November 6, 2021
10–12noon
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New Interfaith Group Forming in Central Delaware
Gathering at Christ Church, Dover,
Tuesday, September 14, 6pm
The new group, The Central Delaware Interfaith Alliance (CDIA), is comprised of members of faith communities and based out of Dover. The group has representation of members of faith communities, congregations, houses of worship, etc., representing the Christian faith, the Jewish Community, the Muslim Community, the Bahai', and the Society of Friends (Quaker) to name a few. This group is replacing a group of faith communities that had previously been organized as the Kent Ecumenical Ministerium, which administered the Kent Ecumenical Food and Crisis Fund, assisting people in need in Central Delaware. The fund will continue under the auspices of the new group. A mission statement and by-laws are already in draft forms. The next gathering for the group will take place on Tuesday, September 14, 6pm at Christ Episcopal Church, in the parish hall which is on the 2nd floor of the Parish House located at 523 S. State St. in downtown Dover. This meeting will be available in person and virtually with advanced registration required. At this meeting, the latest drafts of the mission statement and the bylaws will be shared. This will be the official kick-off of this new organization.
To RSVP, contact Jon Rania, Acting Co-Convenor of CDIA at [email protected] or 302-734-5731.The media is invited to cover this event. Please contact Mr. Rania for more information.
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Nominations for Diocesan Offices
Are Still Needed!
The Nominating Committee is still in need of candidates, especially for three-year terms to Diocesan Council. Minimally, we need two more lay candidates for at large, one lay candidate from Area I, and two clergy candidates.
As members of The Episcopal Church, we all share in its leadership and oversight, often by serving on parish and diocesan teams and committees. Any active Episcopalian in The Episcopal Church in Delaware may nominate someone to serve on a diocesan-wide body. You may nominate yourself as well. If you have questions, feel free to contact:
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Thank you for your prayerful discernment of your willingness
to serve the diocese by standing
for these offices.
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4.5 Million Lives Lost to Covid
The first known coronavirus death was recorded in January, 2020. Since then, more than 4.5 million people have died worldwide. In the USA, there have been 40 million confirmed cases; more than 650,000 people have died; in the last week, more than 250,000 children were diagnosed with Covid; and the numbers of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are rising again.
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For full information on how to get the Covid vaccination in Delaware, and the latest state statistics, click on the button below. |
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A Prayer for all those affected by coronavirus
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, lift up all who are brought low, and grant eternal rest to those who have died; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Fun Fact
Question: Today, the diocesan weekly newsletter, The Net, and the quarterly magazine, Delaware Communion, are freely available to all online. What and when was the first diocesan newsletter?
Clue: It was started with the hope that it would aid mission work.
(Photograph shows moveable type sorted in a letter case and loaded in a composing stick)
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On this date in 1504, Michelangelo’s statue of David was unveiled |
Commissioned by the Overseers of the Office of Works (the Operai) of the Duomo, Florence's cathedral, in 1501 to be a symbol of the city, Michelangelo's statue of David is regarded as one of the artist's, and the period's, most important sculptural works.
Standing 14 feet high and weighing over 5 tons it was carved from a single block of marble that had already been rejected by other artists. Michelangelo was only 26 when he began this work and, unlike other statues of David, he depicted his subject before his battle with Goliath, using the contrapposto pose to convey his subject's pent-up sense of energy before battle.
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Episcopal clergy evangelize in the virtual town square of TikTok |
TikTok, popular mostly with millennials and Generation Z, might be the last place you’d expect to find a 45-year-old priest evangelizing. But the Rev. David Peters' style of evangelism is less about preaching and more about laughter. “It’s just another way of relating” said Peters of Pflugerville, Texas. His videos, including “Outfits I’m Afraid to Wear” and “Anglican Priest Problems”, have become unexpectedly popular. He and other Episcopal clergy provide an affirming alternative to harmful variants of Christianity, explaining what they love about their faith. Read full Episcopal News Service article here.
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Cycle of Prayer in the Episcopal Church in Delaware |
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Episcopal Women's History Project Annual Meeting 2021, Friday, September 17, 12 noon
Listening, recording, and continuing to tell women's ministries stories. The meeting will be held on Zoom. More information
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Suffragettes, Socialites & Social Change!
Old Swedes, Wilmington, Saturday, September 18
This is a one-of-a-kind event presented by Old Swedes Historic Site. Originally planned to celebrate the 2020 suffragette centennial, the event includes a 20th century fashion show with live models, horse-drawn carriage rides, a Great Gatsby’style wedding finale in the historic church, and much more! A 1918 model Saxon coupe, fully restored, will be on display. It’s the same model in which Nell Richardson and Alice Burke drove 10,000 miles across the country in 1916 to promote the suffragist cause. A variety of exhibits will feature the history of women’s fashion, suffragists, female World War II pilots, and artifacts from the Old Swedes Historic Site collection. A wine basket raffle features the hand-painted wine glasses of Wilmington artist and activist Eunice LaFate, an Old Swedes board member. Ticket availability is very limited – each tour has a maximum of six people. Tours are scheduled on the half-hour from 11 am – 12:30 pm. Tickets are available through the Old Swedes website: www.oldswedes.org/events Old Swedes Historic Site, a unit of First State National Historical Park, includes the National Historic Landmark Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church (1699), Burial Ground (1638), and the early 18th century Swedish farmhouse, Hendrickson House. Tracing the legacy of the Swedish colonists in what later became Wilmington, the site offers visitors a distinctive view of the history of Delaware and the surrounding area. Free secured parking available. More information
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New Racial and Social Justice Fall Book Study Group Meetings Now Open for Registration
YWCA and Delaware Community Foundation partnering to offer a virtual 3-Week Book Study
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Mondays: September 20, 27, & October 4, 7-8:30pm
Tuesdays: September 21, 28, & October 5,
4-5:3 pm
Wednesdays: September 22, 29, & October 6, 6:30- 8:00pm
Fridays: September 24, October 1, & 8,
2–3:30pm
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Want to hear more from the author?
New York Times bestselling author Heather McGhee will present the Delaware Community Foundation's Annual Building Opportunity Keynote on Wednesday, October 13. During the event, hosted by DCF, in partnership with Barclays US Consumer Bank, McGhee will be discussing how racism divides and devastates us and how we can chart a path forward together. Registration to attend this virtual event opens in September. Be sure to visit DCF's webpage frequently for updates.
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Interested in applying for a United Thank Offering grant? Join us for an informational webinar on the 2022 focus, September 21, 7pm
Awarded for projects in The Episcopal Church and throughout the Anglican Communion, the 2022 UTO grants will focus on creation care. Register here. Additional webinars will be held in October, November, and January. Grant application deadline February 4.
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Early-bird registration ends September 11
A virtual summit for those engaged or interested in migration ministries will be held, hosted by Episcopal Migration Ministries in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. The conference will be simultaneously interpreted in English and Spanish. More information in English and Spanish here.
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The Youth Live event planned for Sunday, September 12, has been postponed.
Covid has kept many of us from meeting in person for over a year. Because of this, many youth groups have not been together. The Youth Advisory Board (YAB), along with the Bishop, has decided to postpone the Youth Live event, and a new date will be published in the near future.
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The recent Stewardship workshops were very successful!
Nine parishes participated and the material covered is available here. Helen Spence, Chair of the Stewardship Resource Team, extends her thanks to all those who attended here.
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News from the Episcopal Church and beyond |
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Presiding Bishop Michael Curry highlights ways to help Afghan refugees through Episcopal Migration Ministries
"As Episcopalians, as followers of Jesus, as people of faith, we mourn the recent loss of life in Afghanistan, the ongoing chaos and instability, and the risk that many Afghans face, in particular women and girls. The situation in Afghanistan is changing quickly with many lives lost and thousands more at risk. The current crisis leaves over 5 million displaced Afghans in the country, in bordering nations and many more around the world who have been evacuated, who are trying to find long-term safe solutions. As Afghans arrive to the U.S. with the hope of safety, The Episcopal Church through the work of Episcopal Migration Ministries, is assisting our new neighbors through the Afghan Parolee Support Program." More information
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A decade after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake, Washington National Cathedral is halfway restored
The heads of Old Testament prophets lie on the ground near the south entrance of Washington National Cathedral, scaffolding surrounds the central tower and, upon close inspection, parts of the ornamental limestone exterior are cleaner than the rest. Ten years after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit the region, damaging the cathedral and other buildings, stone masons of the District’s gothic place of worship say their work to repair the building is halfway complete. Read full article here
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News from the Anglican Communion |
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Joint statement on climate change by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch: A Joint Message for the Protection of Creation
For the first time, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion have jointly warned of the urgency of environmental sustainability, its impact on poverty, and the importance of global cooperation. Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and Archbishop Justin Welby urge everyone to play their part in “choosing life” for the future of the planet. In a joint statement, the Christian leaders have called on people to pray, in this Christian season of creation, for world leaders ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November. The statement reads: “We call on everyone, whatever their belief or worldview, to endeavour to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor, examining their behaviour and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth which God has given us.” The joint declaration issues a clear warning—"Today, we are paying the price…Tomorrow could be worse”—and concludes that, “This is a critical moment. Our children’s future and the future of our common home depend on it.” The three Christian leaders spoke against injustice and inequality, saying, “We stand before a harsh justice: biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and climate change are the inevitable consequences of our actions, since we have greedily consumed more of the earth’s resources than the planet can endure. But we also face a profound injustice: the people bearing the most catastrophic consequences of these abuses are the poorest on the planet and have been the least responsible for causing them.” The statement calls on people to do the following:
- Pray for world leaders ahead of COP26.
- For individuals: To make meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the planet, working together and taking responsibility for how we use our resources.
- For those with far-reaching responsibilities: To choose people-centered profits and lead the transition to just and sustainable economies.
Read the full statement at here. A Spanish translation of the full statement can be found at here.
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The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has spoken about the ongoing situation in Afghanistan in the House of Lords, the upper house of the UK parliament
"We rightly remember the courage, suffering and sacrifice over the last 20 years, and the courage being shown by our ambassador and the service people in Afghanistan at the moment, together with their colleagues and reporters. When we look back, I remember a cathedral, full for the funeral of a soldier: family and many colleagues silent in dignity, some wounded, mourning their loss. The failure we face today is not military or diplomatic: they did all they could. It is political. Recovery and hope will come to Afghanistan with us supporting commitment to the neediest and most desperate. We have proven capacities in soft as well as hard power." More information
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